Raytheon Company and the Ontario International Airport Authority have broken ground on a hangar that will house Raytheon's flying testbed platform.

The RMT, a modified 727 airliner, conducts airborne test and evaluation on a variety of technologies, including radars, electro-optical/infra-red sensors, avionics and other systems.

"Tomorrow's sensor systems are already in the sky today because of the real-world, in flight testing occurring on Raytheon's multi-program testbed," said Rick Yuse, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. "The groundbreaking is an important step toward housing this technological asset in Ontario, California," says U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42), a lifelong resident of Riverside County, commended Raytheon's arrival in the Inland Empire.

"The new Raytheon facility at Ontario Airport is an exciting project. I was pleased to work with others in the community to re-establish the local control of Ontario Airport. Since the transfer, the airport has continued to pursue economic opportunities for the Inland Empire," he said. "I'm delighted Raytheon, one of our country's premier defense contractors whose work is vital to our national security, has decided to be an important part of fulfilling the airport's extraordinary potential."

The Raytheon hangar will complete construction later this year. It will staff 25 full-time employees, and at maximum capacity staff approximately 50 people for project-related work. Economic impact associated with the project ranges between $10 to 15 million a year.

Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority, welcomed the newest addition to Southern California's fastest growing airport.

"Raytheon's move to ONT is consistent with the Commission's vision for the airport to be a magnet for economic development in the region – one that is low-cost, business friendly and customer focused, not to mention innovative and collaborative in its approach with airport tenants and vendors," said Wapner.